OK, so this is where I start getting
really opinionated. There never has been a Tim Rose
compilation album released but, then, do real fans
actually agree with much of what is on compilation
albums? Here's one that doesn't, so with that in
mind, I've compiled my favourite ten tracks. Only,
I've cheated and listed two Top Tens.

The first
is from those four early albums that most folk are
aware of, along with The Musician and the "missing"
album, Unfinished Song. The second one looks at the work he
did in the later years, from 1978 onwards. It also
means that I can cheat and pick a different version of
a song from a later album. Both Top Tens are
listed below. As a bonus, I've included audio clips
of each track. Click on the
symbol to hear them. Some of these tracks are
unavailable on CD, so I've put them up on this site
for fans to download,
with a small donation made to charity.

What I now want is for other fans to
e-mail me
their ten favourites. I'll try to put them on this
site and compile a complete list of the tracks
people most like. Alternatively, you can put your
thoughts on the
Blog Page. Perhaps a record company will
actually take notice someday. Please note that the
list is not in order of preference, but simply
chronological order.

First Top Ten: The Early
Albums

1. Morning Dew
Co-written with Bonnie Dobson,
or, at least, adapted from her original, this is the song
that stays in many people's minds as being Tim's one big hit,
probably because of the A.O.R. airplay it still gets.
Surprisingly, it wasn't a hit - he never managed to chart in the UK
with any of his singles. The driving guitar and barked-out vocals
make this an essential in any Tim Rose collection and it's become a
staple on "gold" radio stations. Vocally, Tim's version on
The Musician has more of that rasping disparaging voice, spoilt by a
production that has no sense of direction, so I'll happily stick to
the one on the first album as the definitive version. There, you can
hear a superb build-up, as guitar and piano blend beautifully and
the drum fills take the lead towards the end.

2. Hey Joe Who needs the Hendrix version when Timmy does this so
well? OK, so what's missing is the soaring guitar, but instead,
there's Bernard Purdie's machine gun-paced drumming and the vocals
are just outstanding. Indeed, the song becomes something akin to a
duet between Tim and the drums as it builds to its crescendo. Tim recorded several versions of
this song, and while none matches the original, the stripped-down
version on Haunted is impressive despite some dodgy guitar.

3. Long Haired Boy Never appeared on an album and had a
rather unsettling melody that guaranteed it wouldn't get much
airplay as a single, but it had a sound that was well in
advance of much of the stuff coming out in 1968. Produced, unlike
any of the rest of Tim's work, by Al Kooper and it did get Tim an
appearance on Top of the Pops. The production is rather tasty, with
a nice build to the middle section, which is dream-like. Thereafter,
the song takes flight before drifting into a slow coda. Perhaps not
the best choice for a hit record, but a classic Tim Rose song. If
you would like a full MP3 version of this song in exchange for a
charity donation, go to the Downloads
page.

4. When
I Was a Young man Cod autobiography to suit the character that
Tim created around himself. The idea is of the mythical lothario
that can be tamed by the love of a good woman. The version on the album is great, but
the one I that was recorded for a Radio 1 Top Gear session in 1969
is even better, backed by Retaliation, with Ainsley Dunbar on drums.
That has a less stilted feel to it, without the over-precision of
the studio recording. Remarkable short at just over two minutes.

5. Apple Truck Swamper Weird, with a swirling, syncopated
rhythm in waltz-time and a strange lyric about characters from another world.
That's why it's so good that I have to pick it over Hello Sunshine,
a happy song that should have been a hit single and Roanoke, a solid
country song with a heavy rock beat that the Byrds and others would
have died for.

6.
Georgia By Morning I know I've omitted tracks like
Sympathy and If I Were a Carpenter from the third
album, but I did restrict this list to ten songs. The theme of a
murder is common in Tim's work, and here we reach the hanging stage.
The song is comparable to Green Green Grass of Home in
its theme, but with much more of an edge, both in its lyrics and the
way it is performed. The song brings to mind the wonderful
Oscar-winning short
La rivière du hibou
(also
known as
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge).

7. (You've Got to) Hide Your Love Away The fourth album
isn't one that appeals to me as much as Tim's other early work and
while Goin' Down in Hollywood and I've Got to Get
a Message to You are not bad, the album as a whole really lacks
something that the others had. This track, however, proves that
while he can rock with the best of them, his voice can sound
fragile and caring, with a full range of emotions. Great powerful
organ, and a good combination of guitar and drums, but the overall
quality comes from Tim's vocals.

8. The
Musician
This track needs to be picked up by a boy-band or a singer in one of
those dreadful talent competitions. It has that kind of feel. That
said, there's some lovely folk guitar in this strong production and
musically, it's got a memorable theme, while pushing the lovelorn
story that haunts much of Tim's better work.

9. The
Day I Spent With You
This one shows that Tim's ability to hold a rock lyric and its
rhythms together in perfect phrasing is of the highest standards.
OK, so the content is a bit odd - talking about a one-day stand, an
encounter that ends with the woman returning to her husband after a
fling with the singer - but it's got a nice light touch, a funky
beat and a memorable hook. If you would like a full MP3 version of
this song in exchange for a charity donation, go to the
Downloads page.

10. Empty People The
Unfinished Song album is short and
generally rock-oriented, with solid guitar playing by Andy Summers.
However, the standout track has to be this gentle ballad, with an
uneasy sound, using heavy echo on Tim's voice. There's a mocking
feel to the fade that emphasises Tim's thoughts on many of the
people that have surrounded him in the record business, and in life,
throughout the years. Haunting. If you would like a full MP3 version
of this song in exchange for a charity donation, go to the
Downloads page.

Second Top Ten: The Later (Post
1978) Albums

1. The
Gambler (a.k.a. Four Dancin' Queens)
What a lovely introduction, mixing piano, guitar and slide guitar,
then Tim comes in with his hard-edged vocals. There are marvellous
contrasts to Tim's voice on his many albums but this track
emphasises the "hard man" character that also inhabits Hey Joe,
Long Time Man and When I Was a Young Man. I still
consider the original version on The Gambler better than the live
one on Haunted, though others may prefer the stripped down, rawer
one.

2. So
Much to Lose
So, where are you going to find a flute solo in a Tim Rose song?
Why, in this tender ballad that uses the soft side to Tim's voice to
express a discovered first true love. There are alternative versions
on Snowed In and the London Sessions albums, but the
best one is the fully-produced effort on The Gambler. The
other two also have a slightly sour last note which spoils their
otherwise fine accompaniment. By the way, that flute solo is by
Raphael Ravenscroft, the saxophone player on Gerry Rafferty's Baker
Street.

3. Dance
On Ma Belle
I get the feeling
that Tim was being re-marketed as a country musician for The Gambler
album and I just don't like country music. However, prejudice aside,
this is a lovely piece of music in waltz-time, which is a rare
commodity in pop music. Nicely sung and not over-produced as some of
the other tracks are on the album. The song sounds as if it could
have come down a few semitones to take a little less strain from
Tim's vocals, but by having at this pitch, it brings a different
dimension to the way he sings. This song, although not on
Haunted, formed part of his live set before his death.

4.
Because You're Rich
The Haunted version has a wonderful, snarled vocal and a
lovely contrasting female backing vocal. Although not live, there's
what sounds like an audience handclap through the opening verse. If
you find the "financial news" voiceovers at a couple of points
annoying, the alternative version on American Son has a
softer and more ironic vocal. The topic of the song may have been a
little bit of wishful thinking, because around this time, Tim was
pretty well broke.

5. Come Away, Melinda
The song that drew many people to Tim
Rose after they heard it on the CBS Rock Machine sampler. This song
used all the power and tenderness that exemplify Tim's voice to send
an anti-nuclear message to a generation. I wonder if Tim was
influenced by French composers and artistes such as Jacques Brel
when interpreting songs like this and Maman? Despite loving
the orchestrated version on his first album, I now reckon the best
recording is the
live one on the Haunted album - sparse and beautifully sung.
On the other hand, the Haunted version doesn't have that
wonderful cello running through it. A difficult choice. Of course,
there's also a further version he performed as a member of The Big
Three.

6.
American Son
The title track of
the last CD to be issued before his death grabs you immediately as a stand-out track on a great album. The
Norwegian musicians have pulled out the stops to create a beautiful
sound to match the superbly crafted lyrics. Especially noteworthy is
the keyboard playing of producer, Kato Aadland, while the lyric does
suggest that we need to listen to others rather than live with our
own dogma. Considering that this was recorded shortly after 9/11,
but with the perspective of an American ex-pat, the lyrics hold a
significant relevance.

7.
Tiger in Cages
Tim's performance in this song can only be
described as "angry", something we saw in aspects of his live
performances. There's a wonderful clarity about the recording, with
some lovely keyboard work. The theme is one of disillusionment
at the failures of those generations that showed so much hope, but
wasted it all in a decadent lifestyle

8.
Long Time Man
Again there's the original version on that first LP and the later
one, renamed I Ain't Had no Lovin' and performed live at the
Royal Albert Hall for the Haunted CD, but this is the one
that grabbed my attention. It was recorded for Snowed In and
is a greatly slowed-down attempt, with a rich vocal and a haunting
wistfulness.

9. I
Need Saving
There are suggestions that the sessions spent recording the
Snowed In CD were somewhat unhappy and ill-tempered. Despite
this, there are a few decent tracks, including a couple of real
stand-outs. This one starts out as a traditional-style blues number,
with guitar and harmonica and a countrified vocal. It builds, with
Tim's aggressive vocal into something of a spiritual before quieting
down again for a final verse.

10. I
Started a Joke
Although something of a hodgepodge collection of largely unreleased
songs recorded in the last 25 years of his life, there are some
interesting things on the London Sessions CD. Borocay (Yo
Tengo Amore Te) is a gentle folksy piece, recorded with Michael
Wynne, probably around the time of the Haunted CD, but the
Bee Gees song is the more effective. Tim's voice is light, unlike
the harsh sound that he often uses, and his rich baritone is used to
its full range.